The holiday season is synonymous with joy, laughter and family gatherings. For many of us, our four-legged friends are an integral part of these celebrations. To ensure a smooth festive season, it is essential to prepare your dog for the increased activity and potential stressors.
Why Holiday Workouts Are Important:
- Reduced Stress for Your Dog: A well-trained dog is less likely to feel overwhelmed by the hustle and bustle of the holiday season and will be more likely to know what to do to participate in the celebrations.
- Increased Safety: Basic commands can help keep your dog safe, especially around open doors, curious children, and unfamiliar guests.
- More enjoyable holidays for everyone: A well-behaved dog contributes to a more peaceful and enjoyable holiday experience for you and your guests
Key tips for holiday training:
- Reinforce basic commands:
- Sit: This command is essential for controlled greetings and calm behavior. Be sure to have treats on a shelf or hooked near the door so guests can reward the dog when he sits. Explain to your guests not to talk to him, touch him, or look at him if he demands attention with unwanted behaviors!
- Stay: This can be helpful to keep your dog from jumping on guests or running for the door. Time to practice! There are 10 days until Christmas. Practice staying at the door (on a leash at first). Start by asking for “stay” and playing with the handle, then rewarding the stay. Later, work on opening the door 1/4, 1/2, and then all the way.
- Leave it: This command can be useful to teach your dog to not take the food and objects from surfaces. To start, take your dog's food, put it in your hand, close your hand, have your dog sniff it and give him access only when he remains calm and stops insisting for at least 3 seconds. Then, follow the same steps with an open hand and gently remove your hand if the dog wants to take the food. After a few repetitions, say the command "leave it" before repeating the exercise. You will then need to generalize the command to different situations and challenge your dog. For example:
- By telling him leave it and now putting the food on the floor. You can prevent him from getting it by putting your foot on the treat if he goes for it.
- By changing the food value to something more appealing and doing it with items as well.
- By combining other behaviors into the exercise such as “stay” or “go to bed.”
- By dropping the food from your hand and then saying the command “leave it”.
2. Socialization and good manners:
- Practice polite greetings: Train your dog to greet your family the right way when you come home from work to build a history of success.
- Managing excitement: Make sure you have Kongs, lick mats (frozen) and chews for him + interactive toys.
3. Create a safe space:
- Designated Quiet Zone: Provide a quiet, safe place where your dog can retreat if he feels overwhelmed.
- Limit exposure to stressors: Reduce exposure to loud noises, crowds or overly excited guests if the dog is exhibiting stress signals such as
licking his nose (tongue flicks), if you see the white of his eyes (whale eyes), withdrawing from situations, avoiding the gaze of others, having his fur on his back standing up, having his tail between his legs, yawning, biting himself, licking himself, shaking to release stress frequently, etc.
4. Positive reinforcement:
- Reward good behavior: Tell him when he does something right! Use treats, praise, or toys to reward your dog for positive actions. Incentives should be exciting and make him ask for more.
- Avoid punishments: Punishments such as yelling at the dog, hitting the dog, bullying the dog, can lead to fear, anxiety or learned helplessness. It can also associate parties, guests and yourself with these emotions, so it is recommended to focus on positive training methods.
5. Additional tips:
- Maintain routine: Stick to your dog's protocols and behaviors and their usual exercise level as much as possible. Also, make sure they get enough sleep before the party starts.
- Consult a dog trainer like me: It is easy to feel overwhelmed during the holiday season and with the training of our dogs. To each his own profession, I have studied and practiced the behaviors recommended above countless times, and it will be my great pleasure to help you achieve your goals. In addition, you are entitled to a free evaluation by phone with myself at (514) 653-5888 and Graduationcanine@gmail.com
Happy holidays☃️🎄
Marc-André Frangiosa